Did I mention I work in a Hospital?
Sunday August 21, 2016

I hear laughter, babies crying as they enter the world, snatches of conversation that you can never make sense of.

There is the busy hustle and bustle on and on, clock ticking, lives being lived sometimes lost.

It is so very easy to complain and feel sorry for yourself because your phone never stops ringing or your tea has gone cold.

It's easy to forget that outside of this big place of care there are people and souls alone, leaving life without a kind hold of their hand or a tear wiped quickly away as goodbyes are made.

It is this realisation that sometimes overwhelms me and I see how we take everything for granted.

Every person animal, insect and yes even every snail! deserves a moment to be thought of and cared about.

This is why I wrote my poem, sat here one busy afternoon when it all stood there before me.

The Snail.

I walked through woods of Brown and Green and saw a Silver snail.
I asked him just how far he'd been he looked so weak and frail,
At first I thought his ears were deaf or that he was not listening,
But then I saw he lay alone in death his last journeys trail still glistening...
The tears rose but did not shed for what means this to me? Just because one snail is dead my heart need not grieve!
So on I walked upon my way when a thought struck at my mind, who will care when, comes my time to leave this world behind?
So back I went to find that snail and say for him a prayer, and when I'm gone I hope that somewhere somebody will care.

Comments

Hopeful One Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 7:41am

Hi Audrey- thank you for this heartfelt beautiful blog. I believe that you are thinking of compassion although you do not mention the word. Compassion is in all of us but it's awakening does not necessarily occur in all of us.The subject is explored in depth by Prof Paul Gilbert ,a leading authority on depression , in his book ' The Compassionate Mind'. A compassionate mind is the 'first to forgive and the last to condemn' but it becomes the 'first to condem and the last to forgive' in depression . How to reverse this is is being explored in mindfulness cognitive behaviour therapy( MCBT) with good results particularly in preventing relapses.

The Joke Squadron is of course busy developing its own approach henceforth to be known as laughter based cognitive behaviour therapy (LCBT) .

Like this.

At a wedding ceremony, the Minister asked if anyone had anything to say concerning the union of the bride and groom. It was their time to stand up and talk, or forever hold their peace. The moment of utter silence was broken by a young woman carrying an infant in her arms slowly walking up the aisle towards the Minister .Everything quickly turned to chaos. The bride slapped the groom. The groom's mother fainted. The groomsmen started giving each other looks and wondering how best to save the situation.
The Minister asked the woman, "Can you tell us why you came forward? What do you have to say?"
The woman replied, "We can't hear at the back."

Bearofliddlebrain Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 7:30pm

DAVE Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 8:13am

Hi Audrey,
You're an example to us all, serving others in both your work and in your leisure time, giving and not taking keeps a positive extroverted mind. Focusing upon the needs of others, forgetting yourself and 'lost in their service'.

time out to 'stop to smell the flowers' gives us a real purpose on our sojourn in this mortal life, allowing you poetic time to express the basic finer things in this life, nature in all its beauty, as expressed in your beautiful, meaningful poem, which remembers all the seemingly insignificant creatures as well as all those downtrodden lost souls, drowning almost struggling to reach the surface.

How, at the end of each day, you've made such a difference to people's lives, which I'm sure you see reflected in the recipients eyes, giving you a purpose that lifts your spirit, and aids thoughts of reality in a world of plastic artificiality.

I have great admiration for all hospital staff, who in my life have shown they care.

Giving back gives a feeling of self-worth, self-confidence and a surety and feeling of not feeling alone or lonely, as God and His Angels are 'Silent Notes Taking'.

Thank you.

Dave.

Audrey Mon, Aug 22nd 2016 @ 9:15am

Dear Dave,
I am crying at your reply as I feel so undeserving! But I do care and will continue to do so.
Thank you so much.
Audrey

the room above the garage Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 10:26am

Hello Audrey, what a thoughtful poem, you have me saying a silent word for him too! Interesting reply HO, you know much, need to blog for us! Hello all, love ratg x.

Bearofliddlebrain Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 11:52am

Waving Bear paw at you, RATG...hope you're doing well, Bear x

the room above the garage Mon, Aug 22nd 2016 @ 7:12am

Hello Bear! Up and down and doing white knuckles (again zzz)...but I'm ok, and thank you for asking xx. How is the bear life?

Bearofliddlebrain Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 12:01pm

Audrey, like RATG, you have me thinking of the snails...I can't kill them in my garden or the slugs (yuck and double yuck) but I move their home away from my plants that they have cheerfully fed on and killed!!

A lovely poem :)

And as HO says...you show great compassion and feeling for others.
Having sat with my dying mother and mother in law, at different times, I know I am glad to have been with each of them, holding them...wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else....and I do hope someone will be with me when it's my time to die.
Until someone we care about is in hospital and we visit, it's easy to forget that a 'hospital town' is busy with life and death and all that comes inbetween - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I'm waiting to be accepted as a hospital volunteer and hope to do a little to help.
Thank you Audrey.
Bear hugs to all xxx

Mary Wednesday Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 12:24pm

Just beautiful Audrey. Thank you.

Skyblue Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 12:25pm

Audrey, there are many angels who are nursing in hospitals. You are one of them. Your blog is beautiful and very timely for me. Am off to another country to care for my aged mother and am praying for patience, wisdom, physical and mental health and above all, compassion. I will think of your snail poem. Thanks for this lovely blog, and for all that you do. xx

Audrey Mon, Aug 22nd 2016 @ 9:16am

Thank you Skyblue I wish you and your mother all kind thoughts. Remember you are here because of her and she will be so very glad you are with her.

Orangeblossom Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 1:27pm

Hi Audrey, it is blog that I will want to revisit again and again. Thanks very much

Orangeblossom Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 1:27pm

Hi Audrey, it is blog that I will want to revisit again and again. Thanks very much

Orangeblossom Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 1:27pm

Hi Audrey, it is blog that I will want to revisit again and again. Thanks very much

Orangeblossom Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 1:27pm

Hi Audrey, it is blog that I will want to revisit again and again. Thanks very much

The Gardener Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 1:33pm

Audrey, so thoughtful - also making me feel awful. I CANNOT be compassionate with Mr G because he is not actually suffering - nothing physically wrong, eats well - will drink alcohol (disaster if he does) if anybody gives it to him. I feel awful denying him, but he falls over and I cannot lift him. My humanity is seriously cracking - he's thought of something wrong every five minutes the last hour. I smashed a favourite cup and saucer yesterday - he asks all the time where the toilet is - DOES know, all organised. I remonstrated, and he said 'I had to ask in case you'd moved it'. So I threw the cup and saucer. Just been round looking at all the things I've done well, and written a blog 'off the hoof'. I've sat with my mother and two of my dogs as they died, and was really grateful that I could be at their end.Find religion difficult at this time - but an anonymous prayer starts 'God be in my head and in my understanding' ends 'God be at my end and at my departing'. The 'caring society' comes in for much sarcasm, but there is just not enough around.

Bearofliddlebrain Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 7:26pm

Oh TG, I have so much heartfelt sympathy and compassion for you - today, Mr TG is not the man you fell in love with, married and wanted to be with forever...he's there inside but outwardly he's ill and unfortunately you have to put up wth everything that goes with that dreadful illness. Biggest Bear hugs xxx

Audrey Mon, Aug 22nd 2016 @ 9:22am

Dearest The Gardener, I know where you are and I also know where you will one day be when all is done. There is a life waiting for you and you will live it knowing that you did all you could do for Mr TG. Be strong in your thoughts and don't be so quick to criticise yourself, I think one step at a time and you will walk forward to happier times. You are an angel doing what you are doing. Be proud.

Audrey Mon, Aug 22nd 2016 @ 9:22am

Dearest The Gardener, I know where you are and I also know where you will one day be when all is done. There is a life waiting for you and you will live it knowing that you did all you could do for Mr TG. Be strong in your thoughts and don't be so quick to criticise yourself, I think one step at a time and you will walk forward to happier times. You are an angel doing what you are doing. Be proud.

Duma Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 4:50pm

Hi Audrey. I work in a Foodbank (Glasgow SE, Trussel Trust, I'm Volunteer Assistant Manager (operational 2nd)) the second busiest in Scotland (and that's only because Dundee only has one for the whole City of Discovery) I'm off on the sick until5/9/16, 1000 hours.

I'm leaving my number 3 in my role.

I'm guilty as heck, irrational, I know...

...but the Romani need me, they make up 50-60% of our bellies filled, Govanhill IS the Roma ghetto of Scotland, highest density per gen-pop in the UK.

I did a little research, and my nom de plume/Streetname means four things in Romani (a guarded language, I had to go dark net to get a translator bot):

I also spent seven years in a white coat (1 year med school, six years National Centre for Training and Education in Prosthetics and Orthotics, coming out with a good Jack o T (Bachelor of Technology in General Science) and due to Section Eighting in the recruiting office (TOO flexible a moral compass, can you believe that?), legally unemployable, outside of the other side of the 'benefits trap'.

I have a poem for you:

=============================

ODE TO THE CREEPING MASSIVE

None.

None.

Almost.

One.

None.

Two.

Three.

None.

One.

(Pause)

Ten.

Ten.

Never again.

=============================

Cheers, Duma.

Audrey Mon, Aug 22nd 2016 @ 9:59am

Dear Duma,
You are an inspiration.
Made me smile on a chaotic Monday.

Jackie Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 10:37pm

I loved reading your blog about the snail, reminded me that whenever I spot one on the path I move it to avoid it being killed

Jackie Sun, Aug 21st 2016 @ 10:37pm

I loved reading your blog about the snail, reminded me that whenever I spot one on the path I move it to avoid it being killed

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